Ash Silver’s High School Conundrum
by Linkonpark100
Summary: Placed in the care of the Pilgrim family, Ashton ‘Ash’ Silver’s parents had disappeared due to circumstances unknown. While he does occassionally still wonder about his past, now he has to focus on the present as he enters his teenage years. With the combination of school, friends, girls, clubs and rival schools, Ash’s journey has only begun. (AU)
1. The Monologue Prologue

I couldn't remember what my real parents looked like since I was little. From what I heard from the Pilgrims, they were really good people and really wanted to raise me. I was skeptical since they left me here, but leaving me with the other family was a choice that they believed was right. One, I would agree. Still, I've always wondered what they looked liked.

However, I was nine at the time and I remembered the first time I've ever met the Pilgrim family. I was quite shy back then, hiding behind my parents since new people made me nervous. The family had a son and a daughter. But their son was always away, so I would have to meet him later.

"Come on, Ash. Don't be shy," my mom said. "They just want to be friends with you."

Reluctantly, my head slowly peeked out to see their daughter. She had black hair tied in a ponytail and a huge smile on her face. She was about four years younger my age. In an instant, she stepped forward to give a handshake.

"Hi, Ash, I'm Stacey! Nice to meet you!" She greeted cheerfully.

I blinked, startled at her introduction. Slowly, I placed my hand in hers and she grabbed it. She shook it so frantically that I could feel my arm wobbling.

"Come on! My brother Lawrence has a bunch of video games we can play!" Stacey exclaimed as she dragged me over.

I felt like being pulled into a new portal, but I could feel myself smiling as I felt like I made a new friend.

 **XXX**

That was a six years ago. That was the one of the few memories I had of my parents. The only was when they left without saying goodbye. I've always wondered when they would be back.

Thanks to my friendship with the Pilgrims, I broke out of my shell and tried to become more outgoing yet chill considering that two energetic people would be stressful for the parents. Do you know how Stacey manages to bounce back from grumpy to cheerful every morning because of a shower?

I could even see grey hairs growing on Mr. Pilgrim's head.

Slowly, I got out of bed and changed into my new school uniform right after taking a nice shower. It was my first day as a freshman in high school and the prospect of teenagehood gave me excitement.

Afterwards, I went downstairs to have breakfast. When I got down to the kitchen, it seemed that Mrs. Pilgrim had already prepared the classic bacon and eggs. Mr. Pilgrim sat by the dining table, reading his newspaper and drinking his coffee.

"Smells great as usual, Mrs. Pilgrim!" I complimented as I took my seat.

"Thank you, dear," the mother smiled as she set down a plate for him. "I know how much you like them sunnyside up."

"Aww, you shouldn't have!" I replied with a smile.

"Nonsense," she said. "There's a spare plate I'm preparing. Eat as much as you like, but not too much. You might need energy for school, especially if you can't afford to be late on you first day."

I nodded in agreement before scarfing down on my breakfast. It tasted great as usual since it was my favorite for the day. Thankfully, it wasn't everyday since grease would make me fat.

Mrs. Pilgrim looked quite young for someone who had a son in college. I wondered what the secret to her youth was. In contrast, Mr. Pilgrim actually looks his age, considering that he actually HAD grey hair.

"Have you woken up Stacey and Lawrence?" Mrs. Pilgrim asked.

I groaned as I forgotten to wake them up again. "Sorry, I totally forgot about that. I can get them up now."

"Don't bother," a familiar voice rang out. I turned to find Stacey arriving to the kitchen looking rather grumpy due to having to wake up early. Her hair had grown longer, but she was still blooming considering that she was only twelve. Right now, she held an annoyed expression. "I knew that you would forget to wake any of us up."

I could only give a sheepish smile at how true that fact was.

Mrs. Pilgrim sighed as she mused. "If only your brother Lawrence had your enthusiasm. Now he sleeps in because of his college projects."

That was true. Now that he's attending college, we rarely see Lawrence since he's usually holed up in his bedroom. College made me worry sometimes due to the amount of workload it had. And because of that, it made me wonder if I would have to drift away from the Pilgrims if I ever enrolled in college.

"Geez, Lawrence has always been the reclusive guy in the family," Stacey groaned. "Dad's only second behind him because at least he could hold a conversation while reading his newspaper."

That got a chuckle out of me and Mrs. Pilgrim. Mr. Pilgrim even shrugged, seemingly agreeing with her. However, I was soon back in thought again. Sure, Lawrence is the quiet yet jerk-ish guy, but at least he spends time with us playing video games on occasion.

Now, he doesn't even pick up the controller. I can't really blame him for that since his college life sounded really tough. Even when she didn't show it, I knew Stacey shared the same feeling as I did.

"Huh, would you look at the time," Mrs. Pilgrim muttered. "You should get going now, Ash."

I looked at the clock and saw that I was late!

"Thanks for reminding me, Mrs. Pilgrim," I said as I stuffed the rest of my scraps down my mouth and took my school bag before starting out of the house. "Bfy, evyone!"

With that, I went off to my new high school. Once again, the excitement of teenagehood came back like an adrenaline rush as I wondered where this would take me in life.

Little did I know that insanity would come to my way.


	2. The Blonde Pixie

St. Joel's Catholic High School was a private school in Northern Ontario that had a pretty average reputation. The only thing the school was famous for was it's rivalry with Benvie Tech High School, a boys' school just around the corner. Ash didn't know why the rivalry between the schools were well-known, but he decided to stay out of it since he wanted to enjoy high school.

Stepping through the front entrance of the school, Ash looked really nervous since the stories of high school made him feel really nervous. Maybe it was the different kinds of people that were rather colourful in personality.

Once he entered the school, Ash noticed a trio of students coming up to him. However, their uniforms were more rugged and untidy. In fact, noticing their expressions, they looked rather menacing.

One burly, one lanky and the other seemed to be the normal one with a distinction of a beanie.

"Hey, newbie. Welcome to St. Joel's, where we'll beat the education in you," the lanky one threatened.

"Education? As in fighting?" Ash questioned with a raised eyebrow.

"What else, newbie!" The burly one exclaimed as he punched his palm. "So you gonna deliver or what?"

Ash merely stared at them before placing his backpack down. He began to crack his knuckles and crank his neck.

The hat student smirked. "Not backing down? Now that's what I like. A challenge."

Ash knew that he was outnumbered, but he sure as well won't go down without a fight.

"Let's do this," was all he said before delivering a punch to the big student's jaw.

 **XXX**

"So what're you in here for?"

Ash sat on one of the waiting chairs just outside the principal's office, as he was in trouble after getting caught by one of the teachers. Sitting next to him was a blonde girl with a some bracelets over her arms.

"I got into a fight," Ash answered as he winced from feeling the black eye. "To be fair, I had to give them the fight of their lives to get them to leave me alone."

"Did you win?" She asked.

He shook his head. "It was one-on-three. I knew that I was gonna lose from the start."

She smiled. "Well, at least you're honest. Guys usually try to show-off with the macho bravado."

Ash smirked. "I'm not like most guys."

"Are you new?" The girl asked. He nodded at her question.

"Cool, me too. I'm Lisa," she introduced herself.

"Ash Silver," he replied in return.

"Is that really your name?" Lisa questioned, raising an eyebrow.

"It's short for Ashbel," he answered.

"Huh, that's a pretty awesome name," she muttered.

He smiled. "Thanks."

"So how long have you been here?" Lisa asked.

"Fifteen minutes."

"And you already got beat up? That must be a new record for anyone," Lisa smirked. "We should totally hang out."

Ash looked surprised. "Really?"

"Uh-huh," she responded with a smile. "Besides, you seem pretty chill."

He smiled. "That's cool."

The principal opened the door and motioned for Lisa to enter the office.

"Well, wish me luck," she muttered under her breath.

"Luck? What for?" Ash asked in confusion.

She smirked. "On surviving the office."

With that, she entered the office and the door was closed shut.

Ash stared at the wall in thought. He made a new friend today. And even before he actually went to class.

He wondered if he was going to be in the same class as Lisa since a familiar face would make him feel comfortable in a sea of strangers. However, Ash didn't mind making new friends since he was actually trying to break out of his shell. Hopefully his circle of friends would be a guy this time.

If he were a guy surrounded by girls, he might be mistaken for one of them because of his long hair. And he really loved his golden locks.

The principal's door opened and Lisa walked out with a small breath released before looking at him.

"Your turn," she said to him.

He got up and slung his bag over his arm. "Wish me luck."

Lisa's response was a smirk. Ash walked into the office to get a talking to from the principal.

 **XXX**

It actually went pretty well, to say the least. Sure, the principal warned Ash about getting into fights and how he should cut his hair, but the authority was pretty understanding as he was allowed to keep his hair long if he only ties it in school.

Other than that, he was pretty chill about it. Since he was defending himself from these bullies, Ash was let off with a warning and was given a note from the principal to excuse his tardiness on the first day.

Once he reached his homeroom class, Ash entered the room. The moment he opened the door, all eyes were on him. Scanning the area, he noticed a familiar face giving him a small smile.

"Excuse me, can I help you?" The teacher asked.

Ash blinked as he took out the note. "Oh, uh. Sorry I'm late. I need to give this to you."

The teacher took it and read it before giving a sigh.

"Sit next to Miller," the teacher said. "Just stay out of trouble next time."

Ash nodded. "Thank you, teacher."

Before he could take a step, he blinked in realization. "Uh, which one is Miller?"

"The short haired blonde at the back," the teacher groaned.

Ash looked at Lisa, who gave him a small wave. Smiling softly, he walked towards his seat.

"Isn't this cool?" Lisa whispered to him. "We're in the same homeroom. It's totally destiny that we're friends."

"Destiny?" He muttered, disbelief etched onto his face.

"Yeah," Lisa answered with a grin. "The moment we talked to each other outside the principal's office, I knew that there was going to be a connection between us."

Ash looked down at his table in thought. "Maybe it is."

 **XXX**

The bus ride back home was a pretty decent affair. He had to register himself for the school bus listings so that he wouldn't be able to keep walking back home. Fortunately, all he had to do was write his name and address for his stop.

Now, he was at home, playing video games after changing into his homewear and finishing his homework. It was way more advanced than the work in junior high, but it was still pretty easy once you get the basic gist of it. That doesn't mean that he's gonna get A grades though.

"Ash!" Lawrence called from upstairs.

"Yeah?" He responded back, not keeping his eyes off the game.

"You have a visitor!" The elder Pilgrim answered.

"Did they say their name?!" Ash asked, finishing through the second level.

"She says that her name is Lisa!"

"Oh, let her in then!" He exclaimed, pausing the game.

"He's down in the basement," he heard his adopted brother say. He looked at the stairs to expect his classmate.

Sure enough, Lisa had casually walked down, a smile on her features. "Hey."

"Lisa, how'd you know where I live?" Ash asked, slightly surprised to know where he lived. Still, he motioned for her to take a seat.

"Well, the class roster said that your surname was Silver-Pilgrim," she answered as she took a seat next to him. "I was skating through the neighborhood and saw a house with 'Pilgrim' on the mailbox. So I thought, why not check the place out? So, here I am."

She looked at the TV. "Is that Battletoads?"

"Yeah," Ash scratched his head as his character was knocked into the pit. "I'm still trying to beat the game. It's pretty hard."

Pausing the game, he looked at her. "Since you're here, do you want anything to drink?"

Lisa thought about it. "Do you have any lemonade?"

"We do have some lemons my mom picked up," Ash muttered as he went up the stairs. "I'll try to brew up something. Go ahead and take a shot at the game if you'd like."

She looked at the video game before picking up the controller with a smirk. She loved a good challenge.

 **XXX**

"So how did you meet that girl?" Lawrence asked as he was getting a snack, taking a break from his college assignments.

"You mean Lisa?" Ash asked. The older boy nodded.

"We were both new kids in school, so we met outside the principal's office to get our timetables," Ash answered, grabbing a squeezer and some lemons. He had intentionally left out the part where he got into a fight despite the fact that Lawrence knew he was capable.

"And how'd that make you two friends?" The elder Pilgrim sibling asked, crossing his arms next to the kitchen counter.

"We ended up in the same class," the long-haired boy answered, taking a knife out from one of the shelves. "How life works in mysterious ways is pretty funny."

"Meh, it could be worse," Lawrence remarked.

"How so?" Ash asked, looking at his brother.

"You could've been friends with a disgusting kid," the older boy grumbled. Ash raised an eyebrow in response since it was oddly specific. Lawrence shook his head. "Never mind. Anyway, try be careful on who you make friends with. Lisa seems nice, so I'm giving her the benefit of a doubt."

"I will," Ash said as he began to cut the lemons.

 **XXX**

"I hope you like some iced lemonade," Ash said as he brought the two glasses downstairs. When he looked at the TV, his jaw dropped.

"How'd you get pass the fourth stage?!" He exclaimed, shock evident in his voice.

She stuck her tongue out sheepishly. "Well, it just clicked for me. I didn't think it was that hard."

Ash could only stare in stunned disbelief as he walked over and placed the glasses on the coffee table.

"Ooh, these look good," Lisa said as she picked up a glass before taking a sip. "This is pretty good. How much sugar did you put into it?"

Ash broke out of his stupor to look at her. "Oh, not much. You've gotta be careful with the sugar since you don't want to overdo it."

"I've gotta get my mom to buy some lemons," she muttered. This drink really taste good!

Soon, they spent the day talking about stuff while playing two-player mode. Lisa was an outgoing person, Ash thought. If he hadn't met her, he would probably be the kid that sits in the corner.

Lisa looked at the wall clock. "Oh, crap. I better go now before my mom starts nagging at me."

"I'll see you out," Ash said as they got off the couch to get upstairs.

"So same time on Friday?" she asked. "Unless you're not busy."

Ash smiled. "Sure. I can ask my parents if they can cook up something for you if they're not going anywhere."

Lisa smirked. "I don't wanna cause that much trouble for them."

"Then I can try whip something up then," he suggested, though Lisa raised an eyebrow.

"You can cook?" she questioned skeptically.

"Well, I try," Ash mumbled. "I mean, if my parents or Lawrence aren't around, I'd try to make something for me and Stacey."

"Stacey? She's your sister or cousin or something like that?" Lisa asked.

"Adopted sister," he clarified. "I did manage to cook spaghetti and meatballs."

"Now I've gotta try that," she gave a curious grin.

Finally, they were at the front door. Ash opened it for her.

"I'll see you at school tomorrow," he said.

"Yeah," Lisa took her skateboard as she walked out of the house. Giving a wave of goodbye, Lisa skated off.

Ash watched her leave, crossing his arms with a smile as he leaned on the door.

"Hey, Ash!" Lawrence called from upstairs. "I'm gonna be out. You're gonna have to call for pizza or make something for your dinner yourself. I'll leave the money on the kitchen counter."

Ash smiled. It looked like he needed to get some practice in making those spaghetti and meatballs.

 **XXX**

Another weekday passed by as Ash had easily breezed through the morning. It was pretty boring, to say the least. Lunch was the only time he could enjoy. Why?

"Hehehe," Ash chuckled deviously as he grabbed a hold of...a grilled cheese sandwich. He had a notebook beside him.

Just before he could take a bite...

"Sup, Ash," Lisa greeted as she sat next to him.

The boy blinked as he turned to face her. "Hey, Lise. That doesn't look like much, is it?"

Lisa's tray only consisted of Mexican fries and a soda.

"Meh. Had a nice breakfast this morning," she answered. She was holding onto some sort of book. A novel, to say the least. "Have you read this book before?"

Ash glanced at it. "Catcher of the Rye? Isn't that the book that was deemed 'controversial'?"

Lisa raised an eyebrow. "I don't really see what the big deal about this book is. It's pretty boring."

The ponytailed boy shrugged, though he did agree with her.

Lisa took a fry and looked at it. "Have you ever bought these Mexican fries? Isn't that, like...racist or something?"

Ash gulped down from a bite of his sandwich. "I have. Take away the spice and the fries are pretty much bland."

"Yeah, I guess so," she muttered, taking a bite. "It's just a normal french fry."

"At least they didn't have the guts to change the regular price," Ash remarked. "You could've had your money cheated out of. Nevertheless, it's a waste of an appetite."

Lisa shrugged. "Didn't have that much of an appetite, so might as well fill my gut."

She noticed what he was eating. "I didn't know they sold grilled cheese sandwiches. If so, then the school must be holding out on us."

Ash gulped down another. "Mrs. Pilgrim packs my lunch."

Lisa smirks. "Well aren't you a sweet innocent boy."

"Oh, yuck it up," he snarked. "I would actually like to prepare my own lunch, but she would've prepared both lunch and breakfast by then."

"Why don't you get up early then?" Lisa asked.

Ash looked at her like she grew a second head.

"Right, who'd ever wake up early for school?" She rhetorically questioned.

The boy nodded in agreement as he took another bite of his sandwich.

"Still, your sandwich looks better than the cafeteria food here," Lisa mumbled as she played around with her fries.

"A private school IS still a school," Ash emphasised. "I can ask Mrs. Pilgrim to make you something."

Lisa shook her head. "Thanks, but I'm good."

She noticed a notebook beside him. "What's in that notebook?"

Ash looked down. "This? These are song sheets and sketches."

Lisa looked surprised. "You can both draw and write music?"

"I create stuff from left and right," he shrugged.

"Then if you're a musician, you can play some sort of instrument, right?" She asked. Ash could have imagined it but he thought that he saw some sort of glimmer in her eyes.

"Yeeaah..." he trailed off, concerned with the suspicious look she had.

Before she could inquire even further, the bell had rang to signify the end of the period.

"English is next period, eh?" Lisa asked as they got out of their seats.

"Yep. Best be off now," Ash replied as placed his notebook in his backpack. "I heard that the English teacher is an absolute ham. Don't want my ears to bleed."

With that, they decided to continue the school day. Needless to say, the Shakespearean enthusiast was hollering their eardrums despite being an entertaining class.

 **XXX**

The next day of school, Ash's regular bus had arrived. The students began to file out, with Ash being the first to leave. The kid he sat with did not seem to improve his morning mood, yapping loudly with one of his buddies in the back.

He was glad that he remembered to brought his Walkman with him.

As he made his way to the school, he noticed Lisa sitting under one of the trees in the frontyard. She had a neutral look on her face, looking like she was contemplating something on her mind while she had a maple leaf in her hand.

"Yo," Ash greeted.

Lisa looked up at him, expression unchanged. "Hey."

He took a seat next to her.

"It's a pretty nice morning, isn't it?" He asked, hoping to start a conversation.

"Yeah. It is," she replied, practically popping the convo bubble.

Silence filled the atmosphere as other students were walking into the school, busy with their own conversations.

"Can I ask you something?" Lisa's question broke the silence.

He looked at her, relieved that the silence was broken. "Sure."

The usually bubbly-girl took a deep breath before she spoke.

"Do you hate me?"

Ash blinked at the rather serious question. He stared in confusion while Lisa remained silent.

"What brought this on?" He asked, still looking at her.

"It's just..." she paused as she stared into the maple leaf she was holding. "I never really had many friends before high school. People seem to find me annoying because I talk too much and bombard them with questions."

She chuckled. "I can't help it. Whenever I meet new people, I just can't seem to switch-off."

Lisa looked at him in the eye. "I don't blame you if you find me annoying. I even think I'm annoying myself sometimes."

Both of them stared into each other's eyes as it left him to think through. After what felt like eternity, Ash finally gave his answer.

"Lisa, from the remainder of this first week that I've known you, you're one of the most sociable people that I've known. To become friends with a delinquent like me shows how much I'm glad to have met you."

Ash turned away to look up at the sky. "So, no. I don't hate you."

Lisa looked at him for a bit longer. She was slightly surprised at the well-thought our answer he gave. Slowly, her expression began to change.

The bell had rang to start the school day.

"We better get to homeroom now," Ash said as he turned to look at Lisa.

He was met with a happy smile on her face. The morning sunlight made it even more radiant than any other.

 **XXX**

"Lawrence, your dinner's going to be cold!" Mrs. Pilgrim called out.

Dinner could have been an uneventful affair if not for the bombardment of teasing and questions headed his way.

"So, Ash," Mr. Pilgrim started, having a huge grin on his face. "Who's this Lisa girl you're hanging out with?"

"It's probably his girlfriend," Stacey teased, sporting a matching grin.

"Are we really doing this right now?" Ash muttered in annoyance.

"So you do have a girlfriend," Mr. Pilgrim remarked as both father and daughter had their grins grow even wider. "How is she like?"

"Tell us about her!" Stacey goaded.

Ash rolled his eyes, though he felt his face getting slightly heated. "She's only a friend. Nothing more!"

"But you do want her to be your girlfriend, right?" Mr. Pilgrim questioned.

That caused the boy to pause for a moment. If he had asked her to be his girlfriend after knowing her more, would she have reciprocated? It's was too early to tell, but he really liked hanging out with her.

"Dad, I think you've made him go 'super-thinker' mode," Stacey remarked, sipping on her glass of water.

After calling out her son, Mrs. Pilgrim chuckled. "I think he's starting to pick up Lawrence's habits."

 **XXX**

"They think we're dating?" Lisa asked, clearly amused by the situation. Both of them snuck out to chill around the closed mall's parking lot at night since that's where they could have a peace of mind. "What are they? Five?"

"You'd be surprised at how immature they can get sometimes," Ash groaned as he watched her skate around the area with a can of orange soda in his hand. He loved his adopted family, but they could only embarrass him so much from there.

"Like you?" Lisa smirked as she looked back at him.

"Oh, as if you're one to talk," he retorted as he took a sip.

"At least I admit it," she chuckled as she did a clean kickflip.

"Nice," Ash remarked. He knew that Lisa was quite a bit of a tomboy, but he never realized how good she was at skating. "So what's your family like?"

Lisa groaned. "I don't even wanna talk about it."

"Let me guess, immature?" He questioned with a grin.

She scoffed as she performed an ollie. "I wish they were. Better than being a stranger."

Suddenly, an idea formed in her head. Changing the topic, she looked back at him again. "Didn't you say that you play guitar?"

"Yeah, I did," Ash said, wondering where this was coming from. He had the guitar passed down from Mrs. Pilgrim as a hand-me-down.

She grinned with excitement. "When I visit you, I'll tell you about my idea on what we can do."

The pretty boy could only raise an eyebrow. Whatever this idea was, this could only get interesting from things there. Little did he know, things are starting to pick up from his life.


End file.
